


Return of the Batman Who Laughs

by orphan_account



Category: Batman Beyond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 10:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19788580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Terry McGinnis gets framed for crimes he didn't commit, and an imposter Batman takes over.





	Return of the Batman Who Laughs

Terry stared at the bat computer as he sifted through pictures looking for leads. It had been six months since Bruce Wayne just...disappeared. Terry had been left alone as Batman, and things were actually working out. The mayor of Bludhaven and former Robin, Dick Grayson, took over as Terry's mentor, and the Titans and the new Justice League sometimes helped out with cases that required more manpower.

Batman's job was still very hard, though, and no other superheroes could leave their respective cities to help protect the crime-ridden cesspool that was neo-Gotham for long. Only Batman could meet that order, and as Terry and the remaining members of the bat family were discovering, that was a tall order.

"I can't get any leads on this guy. All of his crimes are pointing right back here…the system says it's... Batman." Terry said.

"The system must be broken, McGinnis," Commissioner Gordon said.

"Not necessarily...I hope it's not _him_...but try logging in to the secret files…" Dick Grayson directed.

"Wait a minute? Secret files?" Terry asked.

Grayson typed some code into the terminal and a whole new database showed up. Instead of Batman's regular rogues, there were files on criminals he'd never encountered before.

"The Batman Who Laughs?" Terry asked incredulously, "…who was he…?"

"Someone I hope you never have to meet. Keep searching…" Dick commanded.

As Terry scrolled through the records, he couldn't help but feel a little foolish. A whole database existed that he wasn't even aware of…

"Who are we looking for?" Terry asked.

Just then, a signal came on over the communicator.

"Terry, it's Bruce...I...need…" Static replaced the voice on the other end.

Grayson reached for the backup communicator and activated it.

"Bruce? Where have you been? We've got a major emergency here," Terry said.

"Shut up, McGinnis, where's Dick?" Bruce asked.

"...happy to see you, too…" Terry responded sarcastically as he handed the communicator to Dick. .

"Bad day, much?" Grayson responded drolly.

"You have no idea. Listen, I need you, all of you, to go to Bludhaven. Meet me at Third and Main; I'll explain what we're doing once you get here…I think I have a lead on our unknown criminal..."

"We'll...be right there…" Dick responded. The communicator again blanked out, "Well, I guess we're going to Bludhaven,"

"Wait! Don't you think this could be some kind of trick? I mean, he suddenly reappears after several months, offers us no explanation and just expects us to trust him..."

Dick pretended to deliberate on it for a while and then answered, "not really..."

"You aren't used to Bruce, Terry," Barbara responded.

"Besides, we've got you; you're the contingency in case anything goes wrong…" Dick reassured.

Terry suited up and reluctantly followed the ex-bat family members to one of the bat vehicles. Something just didn't feel right, though. The real Bruce Wayne wouldn't have spoken to him like that...not without a good reason.

...

When they arrived, things just got weirder. The coordinates he gave them led to an abandoned warehouse in an area once known as Crime Alley.

Terry, Dick, and Barbara were standing in pitch black. McGinnis was on high alert; he turned on his night vision to scan.

Suddenly, the lights flashed on, blinding Terry.

Bruce was standing with his back to the group.

"I think I found our 'mysterious criminal"' Bruce said. It was Bruce's voice but it was arrogant and dripping with sarcasm.

Bruce pressed a remote and a large screen on the wall whirred to life. On it was a person in a batsuit much like Terry's. He was carrying a huge sack full of cash.

"He looks like me…" Terry said.

"I wonder why that is…?" Bruce Wayne growled.

"Well, it's certainly not…"

"Way to go McGinnis!" a man in a Jokerz costume on the video congratulated.

"Me?" Terry asked in surprise.

"Who else would it be, the tooth fairy?" Bruce Wayne growled.

Dick spoke up.

"Look, Bruce, I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this…"

"Yeah, maybe it's the work of Spellbinder...or…" Terry started.

"...or maybe I trusted the wrong person with Batman's secrets…" Bruce growled.

"...but...we don't know it was him, do we?"

"Unless you're willing to believe there is an identical copy of him running around who just happens to have the same technology I developed, then yes. I have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt it was him,"

Bruce turned his eyes to Terry. He was wearing dark glasses for some reason.

"Return the bat suit when we get back to the cave; I'm relieving you of the duty of being Batman effective immediately. If you want to rob banks and hang out with gang members, do it on your own time," Bruce said.

"Bruce, those were Jokerz, I wouldn't…" Terry tried to plead.

"Save it. I'm not interested in sob stories. The evidence points right at you…" Bruce Wayne said dismissively.

* * *

Meanwhile on another Earth, the real Bruce Wayne was watching the footage.

The Batman Who Laughs cackled as old Bruce struggled against his restraints.

"You know, I could just kill you right here, Brucie…but I think it would be more fun to let you suffer as you watch this alternate Batman take over Gotham and wreak havoc on your life...then, I'll kill you..."

Joker, who was also imprisoned, rolled his eyes.

"How..unoriginal… other Batman, if memory serves me correctly, that birdy bully is actually Thomas Wayne Jr; that's not another Batman…"

"Right Joker, Owlman is technically not a Batman…" Bruce Wayne said smugly.

"Ooh...you mean Mr. I'm the superior Batman got his facts...gasp...wrong?" Joker asked, cackling at the end.

"Quiet!" the Batman Who Laughs growled.

He walked up to the Joker and stifled an involuntary giggle.

"Careful, don't bust a gut…" Joker said dryly.

The Batman Who Laughs pressed a button shocking the cage Joker was in.

After the smoke cleared, the clown was still laughing.

"Come on! Do it again. That tickled!" Joker goaded.

"You idiot! The only reason I'm keeping you alive is because…"

"...because you want me to do away with old Brucie there, and believe me, Batman who talks too much, I'm chomping at the bit to get my venom into old man Bruce, but antagonizing you _is_ still so much fun! That's just the price of agreeing to hang out with little old me..."

"That's not the only reason, Joker. He wants to use your blood to engineer a cure for himself. I heard him talking about it while you were knocked out cold," Bruce Wayne volunteered.

Joker looked at the old caged man.

"Same old goodie two-shoes Bruce. Thanks for the heads up, Bats!"

Joker turned his attention to the Batman who wears face paint.

"Nothing doing. You can die like that for all I care!" Joker spat.

"Besides, I thought you liked having all of the Joker's...eh...freedom…" Bruce finished.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, it was fun the first couple of millennia, but now I just want it all to end. I want the Earth and the multiverse, including the negative multiverse to be no more so I can finally rest…do you know the burden it is to be like this every waking day?"

Joker raised his hand and gave a cheeky grin.

"I do! I do! So... which loved one did your uncontrollable urges to murder something lead you to kill this time...and did you try to cry only to find you couldn't stop laughing long enough for the tears to flow?" the clown then burst out laughing.

Joker wagged his finger in his captor's face.

"It's not always fun to hold all of the cards, is it, Batsy who wants to be too much like me?"

"If only there were some way you could get it all under control…" Bruce Wayne said.

"Hey, old Brucie, I'm talking to Wayne, do you mind?" Joker chided.

Joker sighed.

"Look, bat clown, if I were a decent man, which I'm not, but if I were, I might be more motivated to help you work on a cure if you weren't trying to kill me,"

"That also goes for me…" Bruce said.

Joker leered at old Bruce through his cage.

"Look, prune man, do you mind?"

Joker raised an eyebrow, challenging old Bruce.

Bruce glared back, and Joker laughed.

Silently the clown mouthed, "I think I like you,"

Bruce grimaced, and Joker giggled at his annoyance.

The clown Batman burst out laughing at the exchange.

"I think I'm just going to leave you two turtle doves alone…" BWL growled.

"Hey! That was part of a private conversation!" Joker protested.

"Ignore him…he's just trying to get you upset..." Bruce whispered.

"...and if you're anything like my Batman, rest his poor soul, you're probably just trying to get inside of my head…careful, it's a dangerous place; you don't want to wind up like the Batman who thinks he's funny..."

"You know me; I'm impressed," old Bruce said.

Joker laughed.

"Oh you! Keep that up, and I might invite you to my hideout for afternoon tea!" Joker said. 

"You're mad…"

"Like a hatter…"

"..such a fool…"

"I'm the biggest Joker in the deck…"


End file.
